New York (CNN) - American Crossroads, the Republican group backed by GOP consultants Karl Rove and Ed Gillespie, will launch its first television ads supporting GOP House candidates this week, as officials there boast about a fundraising surge in the wake of White House attacks on the organization.

A spokesman for American Crossroads, Jonathan Collegio, says the group, along with its affiliate American Crossroads GPS, will begin airing television ads in eight House districts on Friday, and plans to go into 15 House races by Election Day. So far, the group's focus has been on Senate races.
Separately, Collegio says American Crossroads and American Crossroads GPS have raised $13 million dollars since last Tuesday, when the Obama Administration stepped up its criticism of the organization for its big spending against Democrats without disclosing donors.

"Obama and the Democrats are shining the spotlight on us and a lot of Democrats are going to have to address their thank you notes to the White House and DNC when they lose this November," said Collegio.

Collegio says the new influx of cash brings the total money raised to $56 million so far for both arms of the group. This comes on the same day that Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois becomes the latest Democrat to call for an investigation into the groups' tax status.

American Crossroads plans to spend $2 million dollars on its initial advertisements in House races, which will focus mostly on striking behind what Collegio calls the Democrats "firewall" – competitive seats, but ones Democrats see as safer than others. American Crossroads sources admit they are also hoping to force Democrats to spend money on races where they would not otherwise have invested.

For example, American Crossroads will air ads against Democrat Joe Donnelly in Indiana and Zach Space in Ohio. Democratic party officials have said they are more confident about those candidates, but officials at American Crossroads say their internal polling shows they are beatable.

The group will also air an ad against New York Democrat Maurice Hinchey in his district, which had been considered relatively safe. The American Crossroads source says internal data shows Hinchey is vulnerable, so the group is investing there since the Republican party is not.

In fact, although the group is not legally permitted to coordinate with campaigns or the Republican party, American Crossroads officials say they are closely monitoring where the National Republican Campaign Committee is spending its resources, so that they can help elsewhere.

Another example of that is in Hawaii. Republican Charles Djou won a special election earlier this year in what had been a long time Democratic seat. The NRCC is not investing in Djou's race, so American Crossroads made it one of the eight races where it will air ads starting Friday.

"That is traditionally a Democratic seat, and holding that is just as important as picking up another," said an American Crossroads official.

Other House races where the group will launch ads: races against New York Democrats Dan Maffei and Scott Murphy and Florida's Alan Grayson. It will also air an ad to help Republican Dan Lungren's re-election campaign in California.

American Crossroads is coordinating with other GOP groups also running ads in House races, including American Action Network, and the Commission on Hope, Growth and Opportunity.

The Commission on Hope, Growth and Opportunity was started by veteran Republican strategist Scott Reed.

An official there says the group is already airing ads in 15 House districts, and plans to invest in 27 House races by Election Day, with the goal of raising and spending $25 million.

soundoff(114 Responses)

smarty

Every time the Republicans do something unethical or suspicious, the Obama/Democratic haters try to justifiy it with a "well, what about Obama." Whether you approve of Obama or not, wrong is wrong. Using foreign money to win elections would be like the Indians taking support from colonials to just to defeat the neighboring tribe, and you see how that turned out. Those who think it's ok for anyone to use foreign money to sway elections should just grin and bear it once their job gets shipped overseas and foreign interests get greater and greater control over how we live our lives.

October 13, 2010 01:56 pm at 1:56 pm |

Georgia, Joe

I read the comments posted on this website and I get concerned for this Country. Comments about socialism and unions getting money from the stimulus are absolutely false and unrelated to anything that resembles reality. There is a large group of people in this nation operating from a base of ignorance and fear that puts our democracy in danger.

October 13, 2010 01:58 pm at 1:58 pm |

Not All Docs Play Golf

You can always tell the Fox Noise crowd by their posts...always foaming at the mouth and pounding out upper case letters, the equivalent of shouting in a post. Irrational, using cutsie little quips like "Obozo" in their rants....really 3rd grade stuff. Chritstine O'Donnell really speaks their lingo.

October 13, 2010 01:59 pm at 1:59 pm |

T'SAH from Virginia

IF the GLOVE doesn't FIT – then we MUST AQUIT – Just PROVE that the GLOVE does not FIT!!!!!

I smell CORRUPTION – there aren't that many voters that support the GOP – at least small donors – No way!!!! Why is it so difficult to show who the donors are??? What if the VOTER does not like the DONOR??? Maybe they will not VOTE for the candidate if they have grief with the contributor?? What if the DONOR was PRO-CHOICE – RepubliCAN’Ts and you are PRO-LIFE????? Would you VOTE for that candidate????? THINK ABOUT IT!!!!!!!!

This is why we need to STOP THEM now!!! If I were a Republican voter (eww, please wake me up!!!) , I would demand to know where the money is coming from. I would want the candidate I support to WIN fair and square and without a TINGED background!! I would NOT vote for a candidate who accepted money from an organization that is pro-life, anti-gay or anti-Muslim, etc.!!!

DEMOCRATS – Keep PUSHING for answers!! The MORE we push for answers, the more CORRUPT the RepubliCAN’Ts will look!! This is getting too out of hand!!

@21 Days – the difference between 2008 and NOW is the Supreme Court ruling and the RepubliCAN'T's hand in that!!! In 2008, you and the party you are a part of had every right to find out where the money was coming. The REPUBLICAN'Ts did not PUSH IT!!! Hmm, I wonder- WHY?? Because they were just as guilty as YOU believe the other side was. Remember all of the 527 groups that were CONSTANTLY trying to smear then candidate Obama!!! I myself was donating because of that reason and my little $25 at a time COUNTED!!!! So don't even try that CRAP!!!!!!

Americans – WAKE UP and smell the CORRUPTION!!!!!!

This is T'SAH from Virginia and I approve this message!!!

October 13, 2010 02:00 pm at 2:00 pm |

Ed L

Fascism is a live and well in America.... Rove is proof of that

October 13, 2010 02:00 pm at 2:00 pm |

anagram_kid

21 Days, Stufit and Barry, You do realize that these corporations are purchasing the elections that will help their bottom line and not your well being. Keep voting against your own self interest, but then don’t complain about the results.

October 13, 2010 02:01 pm at 2:01 pm |

katiec

Be truly scared, Americans.
This is Wall St, big business, the rich and who knows who else trying to buy our elections.
Voters, do not let them get away with this. VOTE!!

October 13, 2010 02:02 pm at 2:02 pm |

sonny chapman

Karl Rove has the unique ability to take something beautiful, American Democracy, and turn it into a sick bloodsport.

October 13, 2010 02:02 pm at 2:02 pm |

rick

Rove is the #1 enemy of the U.S.

October 13, 2010 02:02 pm at 2:02 pm |

Concerned

How long until corporate monopolies make a comeback? I mean if a corporation owns congress can’t they just reverse those antitrust laws? So much for capitalism…

October 13, 2010 02:04 pm at 2:04 pm |

Mike S.

It takes a lot of money to get right wing neocon whack jobs elected to work for foreign corporations.

October 13, 2010 02:05 pm at 2:05 pm |

Dennis

All of their money comes from BIG BUSINESS, the same folks you as a taxpayer BAILED OUT. In addition, you are still continuing to pay if you happen to have any money in the BANKS getting ZERO interest. The FED has had to keep interest rate LOW so that the BANKS can borrow cheap money and invest in treasurys to make MORE PROFIT while YOU get ZERO. WALL STREET will receive RECORD PAY this year while YOU fight for a JOB. This ORGANIZATION is NOT for you. They are for BIG BANKS and BIG BUSINESS. Fortunately they DO NOTE VOTE, YET, but they DO have unlimited ability to spend UNLIMITED amounts of YOUR MONEY to fed YOU LIES.

October 13, 2010 02:06 pm at 2:06 pm |

gate

Republicans don't give a damn about openness, transparency, or democracy. They will do anything to be in control. When they are in control you will understand where the money came from: Wall Street, big banks, oil companies, and foreign companies that ship our jobs overseas.

October 13, 2010 02:09 pm at 2:09 pm |

CBR

This is just peachy-keen. These groups, whether they support Republicans or Democrats should show who their financial backers are. Instead they are given care blanche to do as they please.

Some of the remarks are here are just plain insulting to the President of the United States. It does not matter who the President may be but citizens should respect the office. Calling the president names is just childish. What roll models they are – teaching younger folks that you can call others names and state whatever you want on the internet whether it is true or not.

Is this what the party of Lincoln becoming?

October 13, 2010 02:09 pm at 2:09 pm |

Sniffit

"Much of that time they had a super majority and could do as they please."

They had an effective supermajority for approximately 1 year. From 2006-2008, the GOP set records for filibusters. From the election of Brown to present, they have done the same. They've functionally shut down the government by preventing nominees from being appointed or having their appointment hearings in record numbers, engaging in massive misinformation and demagoguery campaigns, filibustering EVERYTHING, and basically telling corporate America, point blank, to hold off on hiring until they can buy their majority because they promise to be better puppets than even the Dems have managed to be. The fact is that over half the public THINKS it knows what the issues are and what the policy choices are for resolving them, but they don't have a clue. The GOP, in particular, wants it this way. They want your vote...not your INFORMED DECISION. Wading thru the morass of misinformation they have layered over all of it is simply beyond most of the populace and the media is 100% complicit in selling it to us by uncritically printing everything said as though the issues come down to "he said she said" instead of facts and empirical evidence. You want to know why CNN is doing everything it can to help promote the narrative of a GOP take-over and massive disaffection amongst Dems and liberals? This article tells you very VERY clearly: the GOP, through Rove's shady dealings and others like him, has FAR more money to spend on advertising and THAT is the only beat to which the "news" media dances.

October 13, 2010 02:11 pm at 2:11 pm |

jenn, philadelphia

I'm sure the Democrats don't care that it's legal. They won't use the same tactics on moral grounds. Now if it were marriage or paying taxes, that's a different story, but elections are sacred.

October 13, 2010 02:12 pm at 2:12 pm |

angry liberal

@sonny chapman

"This is the face of Corporate America." and Obama letting wall street off easy after taking their donations is not?

"They don't stand for the lil guy. " and Obama really identifies with the little guy – if the little guy is a slick rich lawyer carreer pollitician. Or maybe the little guy in the villages he is bombing?

Say baaaaaa sheep.

October 13, 2010 02:13 pm at 2:13 pm |

Seattle Sue

Rove and Gillespie are criminals. No I can't prove that but I sure as heck believe it!

October 13, 2010 02:13 pm at 2:13 pm |

Lynn

Anonymous donations can only mean one thing, they have something or someone to hide. For all the American public knows the cash flow could be coming directly from the Taliban or worse. Why are they hiding the source of their deep pockets? Ask that question before election day.

October 13, 2010 02:14 pm at 2:14 pm |

anagram_kid

Imagine if this money was invested into industries that created jobs.

October 13, 2010 02:15 pm at 2:15 pm |

Expat American

Warning to Tea Party People (or more specifically lower income uneducated whites): Rove, Gillepsie, the Conservative or Republican Establishment care nothing for you. They never cared about you.

October 13, 2010 02:15 pm at 2:15 pm |

FM

What are the motives of these Bush cronies? Will they raise money up to "Octillion" in mid-term election alone? Is this what I hear from Fox News that its the election of its kind and they have never come across such a thing!
Here are the sequence if you are not aware of it:

BTW, raise your hand if you think the SCOTUS coming down 5-4 on this issue in Citizens United wasn't payback for the November 4, 2008 b-tchslapping Obama delivered to the GOP. That's what the conservative court is calling "corrective medicine" behind closed doors. If you don't see it, it's probably because your tinfoil hat slipped down over your sloped neanderthal forehead.

October 13, 2010 02:17 pm at 2:17 pm |

Orlando Patriot

Thank you to Obama and the Democrats!! By your continued incompetence and inability to run on your record over the last two years your ONLY hope is to "sling mud" and unsubstantiated claims. That allows the Conservatives to be even MORE energized since your responses as of late only confirm further the DANGER you are to our country!! Keep up the "mud slinging" because it is only further emboldening the Conservative movement!! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!!

October 13, 2010 02:20 pm at 2:20 pm |

What is the country coming to

They really think they can buy this election, People are smarter today.Where are they getting their monies from. For you Rep......you have no clue, just get Obama out of there. You sound like fools. The party of NO has done nothing and you want to talk about the Dems. Rep dont give a shit about you just big business.....so be careful for what you ask for. You know the word for today is the big W......that 's what you will be if you vote Rep. They brought your vote silly you. Rove is not right and its all about the money......big business and overseas money .........what they are saying vote for us and your job will go over sea. So don't be foolish and see whats in front of you. Alot of nothing